Heathkit IB-1101 Frequency Counter

[Nick]

Paid a visit to the The British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum which is an extraordinary place - over 1,000 vintage radios and TVs from the 1920s onwards, most of which (including the TVs) have been restored to working conditions - mainly one man's obsession... just round the corner from John S and next to my old school - I never knew it was there when I was at school, but that was a while ago and I wasn't that interested in that stuff back then :)

Anyway, they had a "swap table" for people to bring stuff they didn't want any more which was then sold to raise money for museum funds...

I swore I wasn't going to ever buy any more nixie stuff, but then...

...I picked up an Heathkit IB-1101 0-100+MHz 5-digit frequency counter for a pound (about USD 1.55), including its manual. Interestingly, they use "Annn" for resistors, "Bnnn" for capacitors and "Cxxx" for valves and ICs... Note the long tube in one photo - this is a multi-turn 1-30pF trimmer for the timebase. The XTAL is especially selected for good accuracy and temperature stability (so the manual says!) - they claim 1ppm/month after leaving it on for 30 days... was made about 1972.

Tubes are NL950S (or B-5859S) - all are socketed. When I got it one of the drivers had gone and its was pretty filthy, but otherwise fine... nicely made unit...

Nick

[Bill van Dijk]

Nice find. In my collection I also have a 1101, as well as its big brother the 1103. The 1103 is very similar in looks, but has a row of push buttons on the front. I have a manual for the 1103, not for the 1101.

 

Bill v

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Nick
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2015 6:49 AM
To: neoni...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [neonixie-l] Heathkit IB-1101 Frequency Counter

 

Paid a visit to the The British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum which is an extraordinary place - over 1,000 vintage radios and TVs from the 1920s onwards, most of which (including the TVs) have been restored to working conditions - mainly one man's obsession... just round the corner from John S and next to my old school - I never knew it was there when I was at school, but that was a while ago and I wasn't that interested in that stuff back then :)

 

Anyway, they had a "swap table" for people tpo bring stuff they didn;t want any more which was sold to raise money for museum funds...

 

I swore I wasn't going to ever buy any more nixie stuff, but then...

 

...I picked up an Heathkit IB-1101 0-100+MHz 5-digit frequency counter for a pound (about USD 1.55), including its manual. Interestingly, the use "Annn" for resistors, "Bnnn" for capacitors and "Cxxx" for valves and ICs... Note the long tube in one photo - this is a multi-turn 1-30pF trimmer for the timebase. The XTAL is especially selected for good accuracy and temperature stability (so the manual says!) - they claim 1ppm/month after leaving it on for 30 days...

 

Tubes are NL950S (or B-5859S) - all are socketed. When I got it one of the drivers had gone and its was pretty filthy, but otherwise fine... nicely made unit...

 

Nick

 

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[Terry Kennedy]

On Friday, June 12, 2015 at 6:49:21 AM UTC-4, Nick wrote:

Paid a visit to the The British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum which is an extraordinary place - over 1,000 vintage radios and TVs from the 1920s onwards, most of which (including the TVs) have been restored to working conditions - mainly one man's obsession... just round the corner from John S and next to my old school - I never knew it was there when I was at school, but that was a while ago and I wasn't that interested in that stuff back then :)

I believe that is the museum featured in "The Secret Life of Machines" Season 1 Episode 6: The Television. This YouTube video (starting at around 11:40) has an interview with the founder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEi1ggtO5Oc

[Nick]

I believe that is the museum featured in "The Secret Life of Machines" Season 1 Episode 6: The Television. This YouTube video (starting at around 11:40) has an interview with the founder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEi1ggtO5Oc

That's the place - obviously filmed a good few years ago (1988) - I met Tim Hunkin - he used to come to the UK Cambridge "Teslathon". All those TVs and radios are in Gerry Well's (the guy in the white coat) house - I took some video - there are radios everywhere - all over the walls, down corridors, even above door frames. Whilst the house is a good size, its so crammed with radios and TVs there are some substantial sheds in the garden, also full of stuff. It got to the point that those filled up too, so he bought the end of the neighbor's garden, put a big shed up there too, and filled that up as well...

He died at the end of last year - the event I went to was a sort of memorial party - about 150 to 200 people were there.

I'll post the video if folks are interested...

Nick

[David Forbes]

Nick,

That thing sure brings back memories! The fine assembly guides, the
super-crappy Molex IC socket pins that came on strips, the quality
carbon resistors... Does it actually count to 100 MHz? The input circuit
looks like it will dissipate a watt or two.

On 6/12/15 3:49 AM, Nick wrote:
>
> I swore I wasn't going to ever buy any more nixie stuff, but then...
>
> ...I picked up an Heathkit IB-1101 0-100+MHz 5-digit frequency counter for
> a pound (about USD 1.55), including its manual.
>

> Nick
>


--
David Forbes, Tucson AZ